Too Wonderful

During my pregnancy I did a load of research on how to introduce your dog to a new baby. The countless articles and videos I watched all said the same thing. It is very important that you a:) continue to show your dog love and affection and b:) if he reacts negatively toward the baby, do not yell at him, instead distract him with a toy or lead him to another area of the house. Associating any negativity with the baby can be detrimental. We arrived home 4 days after Miles was born and Leo could have cared less about him. He like napping on my belly:) He was so ecstatic to see me. After a couple hours I allowed him to jump on the couch while I fed Miles. Imagine my surprise when Leo just plopped down next to us after taking a couple sniffs of Miles feet. The next time he wanted to join us on the couch did not go as well. He jumped up, sniffed Miles, and gave a little growl. All my research and preparing was out the window in an instant. Without even blinking, I punched L...

  Enjoying some craft brews at Resurgence  People told us when Miles was born to go out as much as possible because as soon as he's walking, the luxury of dining out will be a thing of the past. I've taken their advice! Here are some fun shots of our adventures together trying delicious cuisine and tasty beverages in the new home town.  Molly and Miles at the food trucks Miles did not end up eating the whole slice!  He thoroughly enjoyed the Crab Mac&Cheese, but couldn't wrap his head around the Banh Mi.                                                                   We visit dad at work a lot! We absolutely love the Tomato Bisque at The Lodge. Miles recently discovered rack of lamb with Papa.  Blue Monk is always a fun time Van Saders and Knechts at Mothers ...

What does "working from home" mean to you? Many times when a friend or co-worker would tell me they planned on working from home I would think to myself "lucky duck, you don't have to do any real work today". I'd imagine them sitting on their couch eating bon bons, wearing sweatpants, and drinking Four Loko. They would play video games and catch up on Grey's Anatomy , stopping around lunch time to check their emails and reply with a generic response: "I will be out of the office all day and available by phone or email - between the hours of 12:30pm and 1:00pm. " I left my job of nearly 13 years about 6 months ago because we relocated to Buffalo. I worked on my feet all day and interacted with over 30 employees a day and assisted 50+ guests a day. I loved it! I absolutely adored my bosses and created a lot of lasting friendships throughout the years. Going for the occasional after work happy hour or bringing pot luck lunches to share in ...

40 weeks Miles was in breech position for my entire third trimester. When he was born his right arm went straight above his head while eating, sleeping, or just hanging out. I finally understood why it felt like he was punching me in the ribs all day long for three months. My doctor offered to perform a version in the hopes that Miles would turn and be in the right position for a natural birth. I decided against it because I was afraid of the pain and the possibility he would go right back to hanging out in my ribs. I don’t want to use the word “regret” but I can’t think of another to describe my regret in not going through with the version. I very much wanted to have a natural birth and still wish I had experienced it. We were given the option to schedule a C-section on October 31 st or November 4 th . We chose November 4 th because it was actually Miles due date but also because I did not want a Halloween baby. I woke up to use the bathroom for the thirtieth time the night...

Nobody knows what life will be like after marriage. Robby and I were together for 6 years before tying the knot and I really didn't think it would be all that different after the wedding. There was the money factor, were we going to marry our accounts? Or should we just split things 50/50? At first we remained separate in our financial affairs, it became quite clear early on that it would be so much simpler if we had joint accounts. It was a big step for two people so comfortable with taking care of themselves in their young adult years. At least it felt like a big step at the time. Little did we know how big of a step we were taking when we got pregnant. Miles has been my biggest step in life by far. But back to wedded bliss. Things did change after we said our vows. It is hard to explain, so bare with me. The way I looked at Robby changed. He was no longer just my best friend, but my caretaker. The option to leave when a fight broke out was no longer there. Yes, we fight...

I haven’t been attending church as often as I would like these days. Miles is either on a nap schedule that won’t allow it or Robby has to work, leaving me with no mode of transportation. Most of the time I am just plan lazy. Miles was baptized Episcopalian and Rob and I agree we want to raise him in the Episcopal faith. The church we were attending back in Queens was wonderful. A small parish with a Priest who was energetic and happy to have a young couple as part of his flock. We haven’t found a place in Buffalo we really love yet but I’ve gone to a couple services around town, looking for the right fit. Today we ended up at St.Michael's downtown (a Catholic church) because it worked timing wise after dropping Robby off at work. About 45 seconds into the service Miles discovered the acoustics and proceeded to yell and sing as loud as he could. This banished us to the entryway of the church where glass doors keep sound out. I was happy to hear the speakers in the entryway ...

Probably only read this if you're a chick... My torso is abnormally long. Robby and I laugh each time he attempts to slap my butt, he never fails to hit my lower back. Just looking at me you would think I have legs for days, but they’re actually quite short and nothing to write home about. Which brings me to why I titled this blog “Thong be gone”. For many years I only wore thongs (please stop reading now if you don’t want to hear more about thong wearing, the trials a tribulations of a long torso, and why I own zero thongs at this point) because I actually liked them. Thongs were the only undies that didn't give me atrocious pantie lines due to my lower than average butt placement.  You wouldn't catch me wearing white AND granny panties. But this is similar to what I might have looked like without a thong I feel it is important that you know I never, ever looked like this. Come on girls, this is always fixable and hardly ever an accident. So gross! ...

"No matter what his rank or position may be, the lover of books is the richest and the happiest of the children of men."  - J.A. Langford It is difficult to answer someone when they ask “Who's your favorite band?” Even worse “What’s your favorite book?” I refuse to choose a favorite musician or favorite author. I feel as though I would be doing myself a disservice. Here are just a few I cherish and tend to reread.  Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin - Do not see the movie. I have not, but it cannot be better than this read. If you have lived in or visited the great city of New York, or have ever been annoyingly, everlastingly in love, Helprin does not disappoint.  The Screwtape Letters/Mere Christianity/Surprised by Joy by  C.S. Lewis- Lewis is one of my favorite authors. Not only because he is absolutely brilliant with words, but because he appeals to all walks of faith. While reading his works you lose yourself in the poetry and forg...